Setback for Trump: Federal judge rules in support of Dreamers program

Judge Bates is giving DHS 90 days to better explain its view that DACA is unlawful DACA temporarily shielded Dreamers from deportation

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration's decision to end a program protecting some young immigrants from deportation. US District Judge John D Bates in Washington says the Department of Homeland Security's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was unlawful and must be set aside.

Bates is giving DHS 90 days to better explain its view that DACA is unlawful. After that, he says, DHS must accept and process new as well as renewal DACA applications.

DACA temporarily shielded from deportation so-called Dreamers — immigrants brought illegally to the US as children. President Donald Trump announced last year that he would end the program.

Bates' ruling on Tuesday night comes in a pair of cases whose lead plaintiffs are the NAACP and Princeton University.